


Welcome to New York

by falloncridley (myyellowumbrella47)



Category: Dynasty (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:16:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 21,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29765025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myyellowumbrella47/pseuds/falloncridley
Summary: Three months into their marriage, Fallon joins Liam on a trip to New York City not only for a meeting at his family's empire but to also accompany her husband to other special events that the most important Van Kirk's are hosting that month.What the young couple doesn't know, however, is how many surprises they're going to encounter during their five day trip to the Big Apple.
Relationships: Fallon Carrington/Liam Ridley
Comments: 18
Kudos: 43





	1. The Apartment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mrsfallonridley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrsfallonridley/gifts).



> March has officially begun and on this month, we celebrate the birthday of the sweetest person on this planet, Miss Carolina!
> 
> Therefore, to thank her for being such an amazing friend and the best partner one could ever have when it comes to freaking out about Laura Van Kirk, J&L and well, pretty much all of the Van Kirk’s, a while back, I decided to write her something.
> 
> She deserves nothing less than an entire month dedidated to her so here it is. The greatest birthday gift of all, my dear friend!
> 
> 5 Monday’s in March. 5 Chapters.
> 
> One chapter a week until... the grand finale on the 29th! The greatest and most important day of the month!
> 
> With a few extra gifts along the way but well... you will find out about them when the time comes!
> 
> But before you all start reading, here are some important things to consider:
> 
> 1\. Fallon and Liam got married in March 2020. This story happens in June 2020.  
> 2\. John Lowden died in December 2005.  
> 3\. Connor is the son Liam gave up for adoption and never heard from him or Heidi again - in my universe we ignore S3 canon.  
> 4\. For the sake of this story, Melissa Van Kirk doesn’t exist and Elliott Van Kirk is a single man.  
> 5\. All other Van Kirk’s belong to Carolina and her amazing family tree and storyline about this crazy family.
> 
> Now... last but not any less important, a note to my dear Carolina:
> 
> Think about all the things you’ve ever asked me. Think about all the things you’ve ever wanted to read. Think about all the things you’ve always wanted to see happen.
> 
> Okay. I assume that you’ve done it so, now that you’ve thought about all of that, you may keep scrolling down. As Heather said once, this story can also be called "50 ways to kill Carolina" so here’s a warning... you might want to prepare yourself because you’re about to dive into a 100k multichapter of all you’ve ever wanted!

Check this [link](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zYgRwKa03uwYgf_uZjl72yyqmtg37zhJ?usp=sharing) for visuals of the chapter.

**WEDNESDAY**

_Walkin' through a crowd, the village is a glow_

_Kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats under coats_

_Everybody here wanted somethin' more_

_Searchin' for a sound we hadn't heard before_

_And it said_

_Welcome to New York_

_It's been waitin' for you_

_Welcome to New York, welcome to New York_

_Welcome to New York_

_It's been waitin' for you_

_Welcome to New York, welcome to New York_

_•_

_“Mr. and Mrs. Ridley, we will be landing at Teterboro Airport, New Jersey, in about twenty minutes,”_ James, the Carrington Jet’s pilot, informed the young couple through the plane’s intercom. _“The sky is clear, a beautiful sunny day and a temperature of seventy-two degrees,”_ he added. _“Please, prepare to buckle your seatbelts shortly so we can have a safe landing,”_

“Sometimes I wish New York was further away than it actually is,” Fallon groaned in complaint as she tightened the grip of her arm across her husband’s stomach.

They were lying on the private plane’s bed, completely naked, her head on his chest and their legs tangled around one another beneath the white silk sheets. Liam’s right arm was thrown around her neck, resting on her shoulders as his hand played ever so delicately with her long brown strands while the other carefully roamed up and down the arm she had sprawled over his torso.

His fingers were tracing her arm in such a slow speed, his short nails grazing her white as snow skin in such a soft and gentle gesture, that she could swear she was minutes away from falling asleep in his arms. Their hearts had been beating at the same, exact pace for the past ten minutes, after having both experienced a highly increased blood flow, and admittedly, none of them felt like getting up to take their seats. 

They had both closed their eyes a couple of times after reaching their peak, falling asleep briefly as they snuggled against each other and enjoyed the extraordinary feeling of being so careless and relaxed while naked in the arms of their loved one. Being able to listen to his heartbeat had always been one of Fallon’s favorite things to do after sex and as she took in the familiar scent of his cologne, a mix of lemon, ginger and amberwood, she couldn’t even imagine ever feeling more at home.

“We still have a few minutes before we absolutely _have_ to buckle our seatbelts,” Liam spoke softly, pushing his head off the pillow under his head in order to plant a kiss on the top of his wife’s head.

“Not enough for round two, unfortunately,” Fallon murmured before taking her head off his chest to look at him. “I could definitely use another one of those…” She teased him, throwing him a devious grin as she drew small circles near his nipples with her long, manicured nails. “The past few days have been quite exhausting, you know, and now I’m in the same city as your mother. That’s bound to give a woman a hernia,” she elaborated. “Or at least a hell lot of stress,”

“Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have sex in a plane were we not rich enough to afford a jet?” He questioned, allowing his eyes to wander around the small bedroom at the back end of the private plane as he tightened the grip of his arms around her frame.

“I suppose those tiny bathrooms would have to do,” she shrugged, murmuring the words as she placed quick yet gentle kisses on his chest. “Although they’re probably so nasty that I’m thankful I’m able to use my family’s jet to travel around,” she confessed. “Because I do enjoy being part of the Mile High Club quite a lot, thank you very much,”

“It’s a shame we have to get up, isn’t it?” Liam asked playfully, turning towards her to smell the remarkable scent of her hair one more time as he allowed the citric strawberry fragrance of her favorite shampoo to fill his nostrils.

“Mhmm,” Fallon mumbled, finding it hard to speak any proper word in the English vocabulary as she enjoyed the amazing feeling of her husband playing with her hair locks. 

The way he would thread his fingers in her hair and then twirl the long brown strands around them was enough to send her to a deeply relaxed state, but whenever he started massaging her scalp, focused on delivering slow and tender strokes on the back of her head, that’s when she lost it entirely and rendered herself to him completely. 

Fallon knew they were supposed to get up as they still needed to find every piece of clothing they were wearing before they stumbled into the small room during one of the many frenetic kisses they had shared ever since boarding the Carrington private plane that afternoon. However, she couldn’t find enough strength in herself to move away from her husband and out of his embrace, especially not when he kept applying light to medium pressure on her scalp with his fingertip while his thumb worked up to delicate circular motions across the back of her head. 

“Only a couple more minutes,” she requested, her tone as low as a whisper.

“We need to get up, babe,” Liam informed her, pulling her even closer to him for a moment before letting go of her completely. “Come on, let’s get dressed,” he said while pushing himself off the mattress.

“I’m tired, Liam,” Fallon complained, stretching as much as her body and the queen sized bed allowed her to.

“Stop groaning, beautiful,” he spoke, returning to the bed for about a minute to give her a quick kiss on the lips as she settled on her back. “We need to get up,”

“So demanding,” she rolled her eyes, clearly frustrated for having her post-sex cuddle moment with her husband cut short. “The least you could do is find me my lingerie since you threw it across the room,”

“You’re too lazy sometimes, did you know that?” Liam asked playfully, pulling his jeans up his legs before turning towards her as he zipped them up and closed the dark button. “Absolutely gorgeous and inexplicably hot,” he added when she stirred on the bed, the sheets falling to the center of her body and exposing both her thighs and breasts. “But as much as I enjoy this view, I want you safe in your seat and with your seatbelt on by the time this plane starts making its way back to the ground,” he requested. “Come on, babe,” he let go of his belt, letting the two ends hang loose in front of his groin as he offered his hand out for her.

“The things I do for you,” Fallon muttered while accepting his hand.

“I promise I will take you somewhere nice for dinner tonight, okay?” He offered her a hand to help her off the bed.

“Okay,” she nodded, pushing herself on her tiptoes so she could meet his height while barefoot, her four-inch high Jimmy Choo’s stilettos still lost somewhere inside the private plane. “Your wife is going to need _lots_ of wine to be able to handle your mother the next couple of days,” she added before covering his lips with her own, engaging in a sweet and passionate kiss as their tongues played with one another in the most peaceful rhythm.

“It’s New York, babe,” Liam couldn’t help but chuckle. “It may be where my mother lives but it’s certainly a great city,” he spoke before leaning in for another kiss. “I know you’ve visited it a thousand times but this time, you’re coming with your husband,” he smiled against her lips, giving her a quick peck on the lips before staring up at her bright blue eyes with his matching ones.

“Well, I can’t wait to see New York with my husband,” Fallon smiled back at him, the sparkle in her eyes enough for him to know that, even though she would complain about getting dressed or even meeting with the Van Kirk’s, she was happy to be flying to his hometown with him.

•

_It's a new soundtrack I could dance to this beat, beat forevermore_

_The lights are so bright but they never blind me, me_

_Welcome to New York_

_It's been waitin' for you_

_Welcome to New York, welcome to New York_

•

“Excuse me, Sir, why didn’t you take the West 56th Street exit?” Fallon questioned the town car’s driver when she realized he had just driven past their exit, keeping straight on Twelfth Avenue. “You have to take the West 56th Street exit, turn left on Eighth Avenue then right on West 59th to get to The Plaza,” she informed him.

“Fal, mhmm, well, we’re not staying at The Plaza,” Liam turned to his right while settling one hand on her thigh. “Brian, feel free to continue with your chosen route for our destination,” he told the driver in a more polite tone than his wife had just used.

“What do you mean we’re _not_ staying at The Plaza?” Her eyes widened at his words, not sure she was enjoying what could only seem like a trap. “Liam Ridley, if this is your way of telling me that we’re staying at your mother’s, I’m going to fly back to Atlanta and I’m going to drive straight to a divorce attorney’s office before you can even say your full name,” she threatened him.

“No reason to file for divorce just yet, babe,” he replied, laughing at her when all she could feel at that moment was both panic and fear at the unknown. “I can’t say I’m not taking a risk here by taking you to this place but please just give it a chance? Please?”

“What hotel is it?” Fallon questioned as they turned left on West 48th Street, giving him the benefit of the doubt while trying to understand why they were heading towards Midtown Manhattan instead of going to the famous hotel right across the street from Central Park.

“It’s not a hotel, Fal,” Liam mentioned. “We should be there in fifteen minutes, okay? All I ask is for you to give it a chance,” he offered her a shy smile before placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “If you hate it when you see it, I will get us a last minute suite at The Plaza, I promise,” he reassured her.

The drive through Hell’s Kitchen was relatively fast but as soon as they crossed Seventh Avenue, they hit a kind of traffic they were definitely not expecting to face. The cars were all completely still as hundreds of pedestrians walked back and forth, some heading in the direction of Fifth Avenue while others rushing towards one of the most desired places by tourists, Times Square.

“How close exactly to the most crowded place in New York are we staying?” The brunette asked her husband as she looked through the windows of the black Model 3 Tesla.

“Six minutes by foot,” he responded.

“And how exactly is that better than staying on 59th with a marvelous view of Central Park?” Fallon questioned with a frown.

“You will see,” it was all Liam managed to say while throwing her a wink.

“I’m starting to regret rejecting the idea of staying at your mother’s,” she murmured. “She probably lives in one of those extra fancy Park Avenue buildings, deep in the Upper East Side,”

“She does, yeah,” he nodded, laughing. “The penthouse at 720 Park Avenue? Corner building, right between East 70th Street and East 71st Street? Yeah, that’s where my mother lives, in case you’re wondering,”

“I just hope you’re not planning on taking me to that stupid tourist attraction where everyone bumps at you, steps on your feet and breaths down your neck,” Fallon paused. “Since it’s only, you know, six minutes by foot from where we’re staying,” she added, using his own words to tease him about the neighborhood they were supposedly staying for the next few days.

“Please,” Liam sighed, rolling his eyes playfully at her. “I know better than to take the spoiled brat to Times Square,” he chuckled. “I mean, a good photo of us kissing in front of all those crazy, brightly lit billboards would fit perfectly on your Instagram timeline but who am I to suggest a specific photo for your page?”

“Since when do you even want to appear in my Instagram photos?” She threw him a puzzled look. “Do you even remember how long it took me to convince you to let me post photos of our wedding there?” She questioned.

“I don’t mind appearing in the photos you post, babe,” he spoke softly. “I just think that some photos should remain private, for you and me only,” he admitted. “For example, while you looked like the most stunning bride this world has ever seen, I want to keep those photos of you to myself, not share them with your million followers,” he explained. “Posting that candid shot of our first dance as husband and wife is one thing but I don’t want you sharing with the world that shot of me crying as you walked down the aisle,” he told her.

Suddenly, as their car remained totally still, stuck in the terrible traffic between Sixth and Fifth Avenue, they were both taken back to the night in which they promised each other forever. It had only been a couple of months back but he could still remember vividly how magnificent and enchanting she looked while walking down the aisle, marching slowly towards him by her father’s side as tears streamed down his face and he had yet to live through a happier day than that one. 

One of the photographers had captured the shot perfectly from his spot behind the guests on the left side of the aisle. Both Fallon and Blake had their backs to the camera but the picture held the exact moment he ran his fingers across his cheek to dry the tears as he watched his fiancée approach him. It was certainly a photo that he would cherish forever, in fact, it had been the first one to be framed and carefully placed on one of the shelves of Fallon’s fancy bookcase, but it wasn’t the kind of photo he wanted her to share on social media.

Unlike that capture, Liam had gladly agreed to sharing one shot from their first dance. He knew how important it was for her to share that special moment with her followers so he had been the one to suggest that one specifically. They were both sideways in the candid shot and as opposed to the other photo in question, it had been taken by Alexis and not by one of the many photographers they had hired to eternalize that day forever. However, the mother of the bride had managed to snap the photo just as Liam threw Fallon across the dance floor, tightening his grip on her hand as she spinned away from him, her wedding gown flying with the movement as its shiny fabric sparkled under the lights of the crystal chandelier above them.

“They’re both pretty special photos,” Fallon commented.

“I’m not saying they aren’t,” he shook his head. “I’m just saying that one of them is not for the public eye,”

“We’re here,” Brian informed them with a smile, glad to find a spot right in front of the 15 West 47th Street building to park the luxurious Tesla.

“Thank you, Brian,” Liam replied. “Don’t worry about taking our luggage, we can handle that,” he quickly added when he noticed the driver reaching for the handle to open his door.

“Are you sure?” He asked.

“Brian, you’ve been driving me around New York for years. When have you ever taken care of my luggage?” He asked in a playful tone.

“Well, it’s not every day that Mrs. Ridley comes along,” Brian countered.

“Mrs. Ridley is perfectly capable of grabbing her four suitcases out of the trunk, Brian,” Liam responded, glancing at his wife before finally stepping out of the vehicle. “I will call you when we’re ready to go out again,” he informed the driver before heading towards the back of the car.

“What _is_ this place, Liam?” Fallon asked as she stared up at the residential building in front of her.

“My first apartment,” he finally told her. “On the twelfth floor, apartment 1201 to be exact, was the first place I called home after I decided to move out of my mother’s place to start a life of my own,” he explained while reaching for their suitcases. “I actually bought it from Lucy about a decade ago when she and Teddy finally decided to move into a bigger apartment,”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She offered him an apologetic smile as she walked in his direction. “I would never say no to this…”

“It’s a small apartment, Fallon,” Liam mentioned, handing two of the Gucci suitcases over to her before settling his own and her other two bags on his arms. “I’m still not entirely sure you’ll agree to it but even if you don’t, it’s still a place I want to show you,”

•

_When we first dropped our bags on apartment floors_

_Took our broken hearts, put them in a drawer_

_Everybody here was someone else before_

_And you can want who you want_

_Boys and boys and girls and girls_

_Welcome to New York_

_It's been waitin' for you_

_Welcome to New York, welcome to New York_

_Welcome to New York_

_It's been waitin' for you_

_Welcome to New York, welcome to New York_

•

“Do you always stay here when you come to New York?” Fallon asked when they stepped out of the elevator, walking side by side in the direction of apartment 1201.

“Yeah,” Liam nodded. “For some reason, I’ve never really had the heart to rent it,” he admitted. “Since I fly here every couple of months, I can say I’m always around to keep everything in order,” he explained.

“Have you ever thought of selling it?” She frowned, watching as he carefully placed the suitcases down on the floor to reach for the small leather keychain inside the front pocket of his backpack. “I still don’t understand why you’ve never told me about this apartment,” she murmured.

“A tiny apartment in Midtown?” He began. “Certainly not a place I would take the fancy Fallon Carrington to stay at when in New York City,” he explained. “Which is why I didn’t say anything and just booked us a suite at The Plaza the few times we’ve been here,” he confessed.

“Hey,” Fallon called out for him, dropping one of the suitcases on the floor before grabbing his right arm. “Look at me,” she requested, wrapping her fingers gently around his forearm as his left arm pushed the door open. “I may be used to mansions and extravagant hotels in fancy neighborhoods but being with you is more important than any of those, Liam,” she spoke softly while leaning towards him to place a quick yet meaningful kiss on his lips.

“I’m glad you’re here, Fal,” Liam offered her a smile. “It means a lot to finally have you here with me,”

“Why don’t you invite me inside then?” She laughed lightly. “Although I can’t help but feel slightly offended that you didn’t tell me we were coming here because it’s very impolite to come to a person’s home for the first time without bringing them a gift,”

“Since when do you do what normal humans do? Especially when it comes to being _polite_ ,” he countered.

“I would have liked to have had the _option_ , okay?” Fallon rolled her eyes annoyedly at him.

“What would you have gotten me, Fallon, if I may ask?” Liam questioned, crossing his arms against his chest as he waited for her to stop rambling incoherent words.

“A bottle of whiskey, perhaps?” She frowned, not sure it was the right answer. “Oh, a flower! That’s what normal people usually buy, isn’t it?”

“Liam?” They both turned towards the apartment across the hall when they heard a soft voice calling out for him. “Oh my, do my eyes deceive me? Is it really you, boy?” The short, white-haired elderly lady placed the large paper bag she had been carrying on her entryway console table before making her way towards the young couple.

“Hello, Ester,” he quickly replied, throwing her one of his brightest smiles as he gave his old friend a hug. “How are you?”

“Well, you know,” she shrugged, taking a step back while giving him the once over. “In and out of the hospital to treat that stupid cancer that has been eating my insides,” she rolled her eyes. “Seventy-three is definitely not an easy age, girl, let me tell you that,” she glanced at Fallon, who was watching the sudden interaction between her husband and the strange lady with a confused look on her face.

“I’m so sorry to hear about that, Ester,” Liam whispered. “I hope those kids of yours are taking good care of you,” he added. 

“They are, they are. Besides, it’s nothing I can handle, my dear,” Ester spoke in the gentlest of tones. “Don’t you worry about me,” she chuckled. “I see someone has been working out,” she mentioned while squeezing his biceps through the black cotton fabric of the sleeves of his t-shirt, which outlined his muscles perfectly. “Boy here wouldn’t miss a single day at the gym downstairs back when he lived here,” she told Fallon. “I have yet to see someone in this building that is willing to visit that place more than this one over here,” she smiled.

“He _is_ very passionate about the gym, I must admit,” Fallon nodded, feeling somewhat of a discomfort as he didn’t even bother to explain what exactly was happening in that hallway.

“Liam Ridley, are you going to continue being this rude or are you going to introduce me to this gorgeous woman?” The elder lady hit his shoulder playfully before turning towards the brunette. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“It’s Fallon,” she replied. “Fallon Ridley,” she added, pronouncing her still brand new last name almost as a whisper as she was admittedly still getting used to it.

“Ridley, huh?” Ester glanced at Liam. “Where are your manners, boy? A beautiful wife like this and you don’t even bother to introduce us?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Liam quickly apologized. “Ester, this is my wife Fallon. Fal, this is Ester, the best neighbor someone could ever wish for in this complicated city,” he gestured between them.

“Nice to meet you,” Fallon murmured, still a bit uncomfortable.

“My pleasure, dear,” she offered the young woman a smile. “I really hope you’re happy because my Heather won’t like knowing you’ve tied the knot, my dear,” she commented, raising her arm up to his face to cup his cheek.

“How is that crazy girl, by the way?” His eyes sparkled at the mention of Ester’s favorite granddaughter, the blue-eyed, blondish-haired woman that used to show up at his door every single night, right as he was walking out of his post-gym shower, to ask if she could borrow some of his butter.

“Still wondering where you’ve been, I suppose,” Ester replied and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“She was pretty determined, I will give her that,” Liam chuckled. “Not everyone would be blunt enough to knock on my door at the exact same time every night just to see me shirtless,”

“Heather has had a crush on you ever since you moved to this building, Liam,” she shrugged. “She’s really turned her life around, you know? She’s working at the 47th Precinct now and it’s already on her way to the lieutenant position and she also volunteers at an animal shelter in Queens every weekend,”

“I’m happy to hear it all worked out for her, Ester,” he offered her a smile. “Glad to see she achieved her dream of becoming a NYPD detective,”

“She has, yeah,” Ester nodded. “I don’t mean to intrude or take much of your time though. It’s clear that you’re just arriving and I should let you two go inside,” she mentioned. “Nice seeing you, my dear. Try not to disappear again, it was great having you as my neighbor,”

“It was great seeing you too, Ester,” Liam threw her a wink. “I’m incredibly happy with this one,” he added while settling one arm around his wife’s lower back to pull her closer to him. “But tell Heather I send my regards,”

•

_It's a new soundtrack I could dance to this beat, beat forevermore_

_The lights are so bright but they never blind me, me_

_Welcome to New York (New York!)_

_It's been waitin' for you_

_Welcome to New York, welcome to New York_

•

“Should I be worried about this Heather girl?” Fallon questioned as they finally walked through the front door of his apartment, setting their suitcases right by the entryway closet. “You seem pretty close with her grandmother, after all,”

“Is someone jealous?” Liam couldn’t help but tease her.

“I’m not,” she looked around the small apartment in an attempt of avoiding his piercing blue eyes as they stared deeply at her with the most devious and provocative smirk on his lips.

“You _so_ are,” he spoke playfully, throwing his arms around her waist before crashing her body against his. “I cannot believe you’re jealous of a girl you’ve never even seen!” He teased his wife, running his thumbs across her back as he leaned forward to place a kiss on her cheek. “Although maybe you should be just a _little_ worried because, you know,” he paused, poking at her sides playfully as he tried to make her laugh. “She _was_ pretty hot and she _does_ carry a gun,”

“You think this is funny, Mr. Ridley?” Fallon murmured while staring up at the ceiling to hold the laugh that was so desperately trying to leave her body as his fingers continued to tickle her.

“Oh, I do,” Liam replied with a smirk.

“Well, you’re not as funny as you think you are,” she rolled her eyes once she finally returned her attention to her husband.

“You do know you have absolutely _nothing_ to worry about, right?” He added, peppering kisses down her jawline as he allowed his lips to travel towards hers.

“I’m not so sure about that, no,” Fallon groaned in frustration. “At least not anymore,” she pouted.

“Stop being such a drama queen, Fal,” Liam chuckled, tickling her softly as he captured her lips with his. “You know I’m all yours, babe,” he murmured in between kisses.

“Then prove it,” she challenged him. “Oh my god!” She screamed when he backed her up against the front door, trapping her body between his own and the wooden door as he crashed his lips against hers once more.

“I’m all yours, Mrs. Ridley,” he murmured. “All,” he paused as his right hand slid down the right side of her body before traveling to her ass. “Yours,” he added while giving one of her cheeks a hard and determined squeeze.

“So if anyone knocks on our door later tonight asking for a piece of butter, you’ll let _me_ answer it?” Fallon proposed, moaning as he sucked on her earlobe and his hand on ass pushed her center further against his groin.

“I don’t care who knocks on our door tonight, Fallon,” Liam countered as his lips made their way back to hers. “I’m giving you a tour of this apartment, which shouldn’t last longer than five minutes, and then I’m going to take you to bed and I’m going to prove you just how yours I am, alright?” He informed her. “Which means that even if someone does knock on our door requesting some butter to make their dinner, nobody is going to answer because we will both be just a tiny bit busy,”

“Busy doing what exactly, Mr. Ridley?” She asked teasingly, letting out a muffled moan when he ran his tongue rapidly around her ear before biting on the soft cartilage that much to his appreciation, held only a tiny diamond earring that day.

“Oh, babe,” he spoke, sliding his hand a couple of inches down the back of her thigh. “Do you really have to ask?” He whispered while throwing her a wink and before she could fully process his question, he was pulling her leg towards him, her knee bending around his thigh as she wrapped her leg around his to keep her balance.

“Babe,” Fallon moaned, letting her head fall backwards. “Oh my god,” she mumbled when he thrust his hips against hers, giving her a taste of what was happening in his jeans at that moment. “Liam,” she begged.

Her hands flew to his belt just as he let her leg go, allowing her to place her Jimmy Choo’s cladded foot back on the hardwood floor as she unbuckled his black leather belt. Watching as her hands worked swiftly, flawlessly ridding him of the accessory as she skillfully undid the button before finally unzipping his dark blue jeans, he could only let out a loud moan.

“Fallon,” her name was barely a whisper as it trailed on her tongue, echoing around him while she freed him out of the confinements of his boxers.

“Shh,” she murmured. “You’re _mine_ , remember?”

“I am,” he nodded, swallowing hard.

It didn’t take long for Liam to close his eyes, moaning her name when she started to gently stroke him. The six-letter word left his lips in nothing but a muffled tone while his fingers dug deeper into her waist, an action that would certainly leave print marks on her delicate white skin, even through the soft fabric of her dress.

Resting the back of her head against the door behind her, Fallon continued to move her fingers around him in circular motions, her wrist facing up as her hand slid back and forth across his length. She could already feel him hardening by the second, throbbing between her fingers at every stroke as he breathed in and out and moaned incoherent words.

“I’m one hundred percent yours, babe,” he elaborated while pushing the skirt of her dress up her sides, enough to expose the light blue lacy panties that he had so thoughtfully removed with his teeth back on the private plane early that afternoon. “But there’s _one_ thing I need to know though,” he spoke, wrapping his own fingers around his hardening member when she briefly let go of him.

“What?” Fallon frowned.

“That you’re one hundred percent mine too,” he mentioned, taking one step forward and pressing her even harder against the front door as he rubbed his tip against her entrance.

“I am,” she nodded in agreement.

“I didn’t hear you,”

“I am one hundred percent yours, Liam,” Fallon repeated.

In a split second, Liam pushed her panties to the side and slipped inside of her without a single warning. Her jaw fell to the floor and she gasped, her loud moan of extreme pleasure and undeniable desire filling the small apartment while he set up a rhythm. Her arms flew to his head almost immediately, hugging it tightly against hers as she felt her still clothed back sliding up and down the door along with his hips’ movements.

“Deeper,” Fallon begged.

“Jump,” he murmured. “Jump and wrap your legs around me,” he instructed. “Carefully, babe!” He screamed when she did as he had just told her to do, although a bit more harshly than he had first anticipated.

“Sorry,” she apologized softly, locking her legs behind his body as he secured her against his chest.

“You good?” Liam asked while resuming his thrusts, pulling almost all the way out until there was nothing but his tip inside then pushing his entire length back in again, _exactly_ as she loved.

“Never been better,” Fallon replied with a grin of pure affection and adoration as she stared at her husband, the delicate features of her face indicating just how relaxed and peaceful she felt at that moment.

“Perfect,” he whispered, switching to a more tender pace of his hips as he leaned in to plant a kiss on her forehead.

“I love you, Liam,” she murmured, looking up at him before engaging in a slow and passionate kiss, her lips dancing against his in the most perfect and extraordinary speed while their bodies moved as one.

“I love you too, Fal,” Liam replied, tightening his grip on her body so he wouldn’t drop her when he picked up the pace. “I love you too,”

•

_Like any great love, it keeps you guessing_

_Like any real love, it's ever-changing_

_Like any true love, it drives you crazy_

_But you know you wouldn't change anything, anything, anything_

_Welcome to New York_

_It's been waitin' for you_

_Welcome to New York, welcome to New York_

_Welcome to New York_

_It's been waitin' for you_

_Welcome to New York, welcome to New York_

•

“I may not have brought you flowers or even a bottle of your favorite whiskey but well,” Fallon shrugged as she adjusted her panties back to their rightful place before running her hands through the skirt of her dress. “I think it’s safe to say you just got something a lot better,” she winked at him playfully.

Her arms were still thrown over his shoulders, her right forearm on top of her left one behind his head as she stared at him in total awe. They were both still coming back from the high of their orgasm and Fallon simply couldn’t seem to look at anywhere but him. Her blue orbs, still considerably dark from all the pleasure brought by their quickie against the door, focused on him as if he was the only thing in the room, as if everything was pitch black and he was the one and only thing in front of her.

“I definitely did,” Liam offered her a smirk, looking up from his lower body once he was done zipping his jeans back up and fixing his belt. “What?” He couldn’t help but chuckle when his eyes caught hers, finally realizing how fiercely her sparkly eyes had been watching him for the past few minutes.

“Nothing,” she replied, her cheeks blushing when she looked down to avoid his gaze.

“What is it, babe?” He insisted, his tone soft as he settled his hands on her waist. “Tell me,” he whispered while squeezing her sides gently.

“It’s nothing,” Fallon repeated. “I just,” she paused, as if searching for the right words to explain what she was feeling at that moment. “I love you so much,” she murmured, finally allowing her blue eyes to lock with his matching ones.

“You know,” Liam began. “You’re so incredibly sweet after sex that I don’t even recognize you,” he teased her. “Ouch!” He exclaimed when she untangled her arms and used one of her hands to hit his shoulder.

“Idiot,” she rolled her eyes at him. “I was being sincere!”

“We both know you’re not that sweet, Fal,” he mentioned.

“I am when it comes to you,” Fallon countered. “ _Very_ sweet, in fact,”

“Now you’re pushing it, babe,” Liam let out a loud laugh at her statement.

“Well, you used to be a lot sweeter,” she groaned in complaint. “Now you’re just bitter and grumpy,” she murmured. “Even after an orgasm,”

“Okay, you _can_ be sweet sometimes… when you _really_ want it,” he admitted, realizing letting her win that one would make things a lot easier for him. “But if we’re being honest here, Fal,” he lowered the tone of his voice while leaning closer to her. “I absolutely love how you act and talk after you’ve just had an orgasm,” he whispered in her ear before carefully, slowly and torturously running his tongue around her earlobe.

“Are you trying to give me another one?” Fallon moaned when she felt him closing him closing his front teeth on the soft cartilage.

“I was actually thinking of giving you that tour now,” Liam confessed, taking a step back.

“I would love that,” she replied with a smile. “I mean, we’ve been here for a while already and we haven’t even moved past the front door,” she giggled. “Now come on,” she added while intertwining their fingers, “lead the way,”

“Okay, so as you can see,” he started. “To your left, we have the kitchen and to your right, we have the living room,” he spoke as they walked further into the apartment.

The kitchen was surprisingly elegant for such a small and simple room. While the bottom cabinets were all built in dark brown wood, the top cabinets were all white, matching the tiles on the walls and the marble counter that rounded most of the kitchen. It was far from everything Fallon had been used to seeing during her entire life but it felt cozy and she would even admit that it was exactly what a person needed when living by themselves.

As she looked around, paying more attention to the small details of the kitchen, she immediately noticed the fancy knife set on one of the corners of the counter and she couldn’t help but smile when she noticed the dozens of cookbooks on the wooden shelf to the right of the last top cabinet.

“Did you use to cook a lot back when you were living here?” Fallon asked.

“I only started cooking when I moved here, actually,” Liam told her. “My mother used to freak out every time I entered the kitchen and tried to do something that, in her words, the staff was paid to do,” he shrugged. “But since it was something I’d always thought I would enjoy, I started taking cooking classes, reading books and well, then I pretty much just went from there. Traveling around the world and getting to know all kinds of countries and cuisines also encouraged me to try new things,” he explained. “I didn’t really enjoy going out for dinner to all those crowded restaurants by myself so I would usually just stay in and cook. I started trying new dishes and somewhat discovered that I indeed am very passionate about cooking,”

“I’m glad you are,” she offered him a smile. “And not only because you feed me,” he laughed lightly at her words. “But also because I know how happy and relaxed it makes you,”

“I asked Anna, the lady that has been taking care of this place ever since I moved to Atlanta, to do some grocery shopping but I will probably run to the store tonight or in the morning to grab us a few more things,” he commented. “Maybe I can cook for you one of these days?”

“It’s a date,” Fallon replied before giving him a quick peck on the lips.

“Before I show you the living room,” Liam spoke while reaching for the knob of one of the doors opposite from the front door, on the wall that connected the kitchen and the living room. “Door to the left is a small closet,” he said, opening it for her to see inside. “It’s empty because I don’t keep clothes here anymore but I usually keep coats and shoes in here so it’s easier to grab them when I’m going out or coming back home,” he explained. “Door to the right,” he added, closing the closet’s door before reaching for the other knob. “Is the bedroom,”

“Why can’t I see the bedroom?” She questioned, throwing him a puzzled look when he closed the door only ten seconds after opening it.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he answered with a smirk.

Turning towards the living room, Liam guided her towards the pleasant and homey sitting area until they were standing by the dark blue, L shaped couch. Behind the bigger side of the couch, there was a wide window with beautiful linen curtains at its ends and behind the other side, there were three wooden shelves that went all the way from one wall to the other, the first two covered entirely with books while the top one held some random decorative objects.

Opposite from the couch, Fallon noticed a brand new flatscreen television on the wall and as her eyes wandered down to the few framed photographs sitting right below it, she couldn’t help but let go of his hand to walk towards them. From afar, some of them looked oddly familiar and her first instinct was to have a closer look at them. She had never been to that apartment before, even though they had been together for about a year and a half, but she still felt like she had seen those pictures somewhere.

Taking a couple of steps forward, she carefully stepped on the large, light gray carpet while bypassing the marble coffee table in the center of the room. Remaining still on his spot, right hand in the front pocket of his jeans and left one on the back of the couch, Liam watched as she headed straight for the intriguing photographs. As she reached the white cabinets under the television, she immediately took one of the rustic wood picture frames in her hand and got so caught up in the picture that he couldn’t help but roll his eyes when she completely missed the familiar orange book sitting on the coffee table, only inches away from her.

“What’s this?” The two words sounded like nothing but a muttered whisper, the latest trailing on her tongue as her voice faded away.

In her hand, she held the selfie they had taken right before boarding the Van Kirk private jet, back when they traveled to New York for the first time together. She still remembered that day vividly and she could only trace the rustic frame with her thumb as she stared deeply at it. Besides the white cat eye sunglasses, one of her favorite accessories, Fallon wore the yellow Alaïa outfit that she would recognize anywhere - the cropped knitted top and matching wide-leg pants - and while Liam wore a beautiful light blue shirt, her eyes immediately focused on his wedding ring as they both showed their middle fingers to the camera.

Just as Liam displayed a fake wedding band on his finger in the photo, Fallon wore the engagement ring that her ex-boyfriend had given her during his proposal, when he had felt so threatened about her spending time with the Van Kirk heir that he had dropped down to his knee in an attempt of keeping her forever. At the time they had taken that picture, they were still months away from finally confessing their love to each other, but she had to admit she still cherished in her heart some special moments they had shared in the Big Apple back then. Not to mention the fact that that specific photograph had been one of the five photos Liam had used in his slide presentation at their divorce party.

“I love that one,” Liam mentioned.

“It’s…” Fallon didn’t even know what she wanted to say. “Old,” she murmured. “We weren’t even a couple here,”

“So what?” He shrugged. “It’s still special,” he told her. “Just like that one,” he added with a smirk, pointing to the frame on the far left.

“How is it even possible that you have photos of us,” she began while turning around to look at him. “Photos of _me_ ,” she emphasized, reaching for the one he had just referred to. “In an apartment that I didn’t even know existed?” She questioned, staring down at the photograph he had taken of her right after he proposed to her in their London hotel room, a shot of her in the fancy black outfit, in front of all the roses, chocolates and gifts he had decorated the entire room with.

“What’s the matter?” Liam chuckled.

“I don’t know,” Fallon mumbled. “Makes this apartment feel...” She paused. “ _Homey_ , somehow, for a place you’ve never even said _anything_ about,”

“I wasn’t willing to take the risk of bringing you to an ordinary, small Midtown apartment instead of taking you to a fancy suite at The Plaza until now I guess,” he confessed. “But since I’ve stayed here by myself a few times ever since we started dating, I’ve added the pictures to my decoration,” he explained.

“Is this Layla?” She asked, gesturing to the frame with an old, vintage drawing of a young boy holding a dachshund in his arms.

“It is,” Liam replied with a nod while taking a few steps towards her. “And this one…” He spoke softly, grabbing the fourth and last framed photograph.

“Is this,”

“My dad?” He finished her sentence. “Yeah,” he nodded before glancing at the photograph of his father throwing him up in the air in front of the Rockefeller Center’s Christmas Tree back when he was only a toddler. “Christmas was always a big deal for us. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that loved Christmas as much as he did,” he told her, smiling at the photo and all the memories they had made together during their family holidays. “But then…” He paused, staring up at the ceiling as he fought against the tears that were quickly pooling in his eyes. “Then he died only two weeks before Christmas and it was never the same,”

“I’m so sorry, Liam,” it was the only thing she could say as she took a step closer to him to place her hand supportively on his shoulder.

“My mother shut down completely and she pretty much never celebrated Christmas again,” Liam continued. “The entire house had already been decorated for the holidays and when… when it happened, she ordered the staff to take everything down,” he explained. “We didn’t celebrate that year, obviously, because my mom spent the rest of December drinking her ass off,” he shrugged. “But by the time the staff took the decorations down and put them away, it felt like we were putting _Christmas_ away forever at the Lowden’s,”

“We can start our own tradition this year,” Fallon suggested, her tone soft as she pulled him in for a hug. “I know there’s still about half a year until the holidays but it clearly means something to you…” She whispered while running her fingers softly through his short strands. “We’re a family now, babe. We may not have kids or dogs but you’ll always have me and I would love to create new traditions with you,”

“Thank you, Fal,” he offered her a smile.

“Thanks for showing me this apartment, Liam,” she spoke before leaning in for a quick kiss. “It’s an important place for you and I’m glad you’ve finally brought me here,”

“Come on,” Liam murmured, running his hand over his eyes to dry some of the tears that had betrayed him. “Let me show you the bedroom,”

“I’m sorry I made you emotional by mentioning your dad,” Fallon apologized.

“I’m the one who brought it up by reaching for the photo, there’s nothing you should worry about, babe,” he reassured her. “Come on,” he repeated while taking her hand in his.

“Are you okay?” She asked as they walked towards the door that led to the bedroom.

“Yeah,” Liam nodded. “You’re right. We should create our _own_ tradition this year,”

“We can even fly up here if you want,” Fallon commented. “New York is certainly the country’s most wanted destination for the holidays and judging by that picture of you and John, I’m sure it’s a special place for you too,”

“We can talk about it,” he said shortly, still taken aback by the memories of his father.

“Wow,” she exclaimed, her jaw dropping to the floor the moment they stepped into the small bedroom. “This is,” she paused, simply speechless at the view in front of her.

The window across the room covered most of the wall and through the wide glass, Fallon could see a few shorter buildings but most of all, she could see most of the Rockefeller Center building and the top half of the Empire State Building. They were two of the most acclaimed buildings by tourists in New York and her husband had the greatest view of them, standing tall and grandly right outside his bedroom’s window.

“It’s beautiful!” Fallon continued, taking a few steps forward and rounding the bed so she could get closer to the window.

“One of the reasons why I could never sell this place,” Liam confessed. “The view is even better at night and well, I may love nature and peaceful places but this is where I grew up…” He told her. “Like it or not, it has a special place in my heart and well, this view is pretty much fantastic,”

“It certainly is,” she nodded while staring down at the famous skyscraper.

“I’m so happy you’re here, Fal,” he whispered, hugging her from behind before placing a soft and meaningful kiss on her shoulder.

“I’m happy to be here, babe,” Fallon replied. “Never thought I would say this but… you’ve just made me fall in love with a tiny apartment located in one of the most crowded neighborhoods of New York,”

“I’m glad,” Liam smiled, tightening his embrace so she would lean even closer to him, her back resting against his chest as he crossed his arms against her stomach. “It’s definitely going to make the next few days a lot easier since we still have to attend that meeting at VKI tomorrow, the Van Kirk Gala on Friday and well… dinner at my mother’s on Saturday,”

“Can’t we just stay like this every day until it’s Sunday and time to fly back to Atlanta?” She asked, snuggling her head in the crook of his neck as she enjoyed the amazing feeling of his arms strongly wrapped around her.

“We’ve already checked one of the boxes,” he told her. “This apartment,” he added shortly. “Why don’t you give the others a chance? Maybe they won’t be as bad as you’re expecting them to be?”

“Well, I’m here, aren’t I?” Fallon countered.

“You are,” Liam nodded. “And I’m sure you won’t regret it, babe,” he offered her a smile before leaning his face slightly towards her to plant a kiss on her cheek.

•

_It's a new soundtrack I could dance to this beat_

_The lights are so bright but they never blind me_

_Welcome to New York_

_New soundtrack_

_It's been waitin' for you_

_Welcome to New York_

_The lights are so bright but they never blind me_

_Welcome to New York_

_So bright, they never blind me_

_Welcome to New York_

_Welcome to New York_

•


	2. The Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What you need to know for this chapter:
> 
> *All the scenes between the ~ symbol are scenes that are happening at the exact same time, in different parts of the building.
> 
> What you need to remember for this story:
> 
> 1\. Fallon and Liam got married in March 2020. This story happens in June 2020.  
> 2\. John Lowden died in December 2005.  
> 3\. Connor is the son Liam gave up for adoption and never heard from him or Heidi again - in my universe we ignore S3 canon.  
> 4\. For the sake of this story, Melissa Van Kirk doesn’t exist and Elliott Van Kirk is a single man.  
> 5\. All other Van Kirk’s belong to Carolina and her amazing family tree and storyline about this crazy family.

Check this [link](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18DU3aozXQ9m0IVNO6cm1VOZifqHui6VI?usp=sharing) for visuals of the chapter.

**THURSDAY**

_Seems like there's always someone who disapproves_

_They'll judge it like they know about me and you_

_And the verdict comes from those with nothing else to do_

_The jury's out, but my choice is you_

_So don't you worry your pretty, little mind_

_People throw rocks at things that shine_

_And life makes love look hard_

_The stakes are high, the water's rough_

_But this love is ours_

•

It was already past ten o’clock when the tiny light on top of the coffee machine lit up, indicating that their second round of freshly brewed coffee was ready for consumption. The whole apartment was quiet, with Liam murmuring things to himself in the living room while Fallon moved around in the kitchen as if trying to figure out what exactly she was supposed to do in there.

While there were no windows in the kitchen, none of them had bothered to turn on the lights as the sun was already shining brightly through the wide window of the living room by the time they woke up earlier that morning. The dimly lit atmosphere was comfortable to her eyes and she had to admit that she was indeed enjoying the cozyness and warmth provided by the small apartment. She hadn’t needed much the day before to understand how important and special that place was for him, but after spending the night in his bedroom and waking up in his arms, she was certainly starting to feel at home.

Having lived under the same roof her entire life, save for the short period back when she moved to La Mirage, it was odd for Fallon to consider any place besides the grand Carrington Manor home. However, ever since Liam had surprised her with their own house, she had been more and more anxious to move out of her father’s mansion, ready to start a new chapter of her life with her husband. 

For the past couple of months, they had been deeply engrossed in choosing every single detail of the house they planned on calling home for as long as they lived. The renovations were still in full swing and while there was still a few months to go before everything was perfect, they couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to turn each and every room into exactly what they wanted.

Glancing at her husband as she slowly spread peanut butter over a warm bagel, Fallon couldn’t help but smile when he ran a hand through his hair and a yawn escaped his lips. His short, light brown strands were pointing in every direction since he had yet to take his daily shower, but it was definitely a view she deeply appreciated. A view that only got unquestionably better the moment she allowed her eyes to wander down his body, her blue orbs staring brightly at his exposed, muscled chest. It didn’t take long for them to travel down his six-pack abdomen, enjoying the beauty and perfection of the man only a few feet away from her, until they reached the hem of his dark blue boxers.

There was a time when she thought that it was simply impossible to live without a staff, without a highly trained group of professionals to cook every meal and clean every room but, much to her surprise, she was starting to realize that being alone with her husband trumped that all. Suddenly, making them breakfast was no longer scary or even much of a big deal because the idea of standing in his kitchen, wearing nothing but a pair of lacy panties and his white shirt while he worked in the living room, wearing nothing but a pair of a Calvin Klein boxers, was slowly becoming something she could get accustomed to.

Placing the knife carefully on the side of the porcelain plate, Fallon closed the peanut butter before tiptoeing to the other side of the kitchen. As she approached the opposite counter, she reached for the coffee machine’s glass jar before filling both of their currently empty mugs with the hot drink.

As she tightened her fingers around the thin handles of the mugs, making sure she could carry both of them in one hand, she grabbed the plate with the two bagels then headed towards the living room. Liam was still practicing his speech when she stepped on the carpet, so instead of interrupting him, she chose to sit down on the couch.

They had only been up for a couple of hours but the coffee table was already covered in document folders, business reports and even white sheets of paper with all kinds of math and calculations scribbled on them. His laptop was sitting on top of some of the reports, a complex financial spreadsheet open on the Macbook’s screen, while his phone had clearly just been tossed on the couch as it was still unlocked. Fallon would also recognize the HP 12C app anywhere and could only roll her eyes at the small black numbers on top of the financial calculator, evidence that he had just tried - and failed - to calculate the return of one of the investments displayed on the spreadsheet.

Settling the plate down on the couch, she switched one of the mugs to her unoccupied hand then looked up at him while taking a sip of her own coffee. Liam was pacing back and forth in the living room, rounding the coffee table repeatedly as he read the document in his hand. Whispering and murmuring what seemed to be inaudible words to her, he continued talking to himself as he tried not only to memorize all the arguments and numbers on the document but also to understand exactly what they were supposed to mean.

“Why do I have to do this?” Liam questioned, throwing the document on top of all the others on the coffee table before plopping down on the couch. “I wasn’t born to take care of this so called business stuff,”

“Well, I wasn’t born to make breakfast and yet here we are,” Fallon spoke playfully, shrugging as he reached for one of the bagels. 

“Fallon, I highly doubt throwing a premade bagel in the toaster and pushing the button on the coffee machine qualifies as making breakfast,” he teased her.

“It does for _me_ , okay?” She murmured, shaking her head at him. “I’ve never had to throw a bagel in the toaster or push the button on a coffee machine in my entire life, Liam, you know that,”

“I have to study all the numbers from the past five years from Van Kirk Industries’ finances to determine which director gets to review their budget for the second semester in order to bring the company the biggest net profit and I can’t even get a proper breakfast?” Liam complained. “I don’t know, perhaps avocado toast or some scrambled eggs,” he suggested.

“Yeah, that’s exactly how it works, babe,” Fallon offered him a smile, leaning back against the couch as she took a bite of her bagel. “Now come on, focus on those numbers,” she gestured towards the spreadsheet before taking another sip of her coffee.

“You were supposed to be helping me, you know that, right?” He sighed. “I don’t remember you sitting carelessly on the couch being part of our arrangement when we discussed it earlier this week,”

“Staring at my legs while I moved around the kitchen and at my ass whenever I got something from the top cabinets wasn’t part of our arrangement either, but you still chose to get distracted instead of studying the numbers,” she replied.

“You’re the one that knows all about business, not me,” Liam mentioned. “Why don’t I head to that kitchen right now to make us something better than bagels with peanut butter and you focus on studying this presentation?”

“Liam, I _did_ this entire presentation,” Fallon reminded him. “I spent the past week analyzing every number, building every argument and working on three different plans for the budget review,” she told him. “All you have to do is study and present it to the board, Liam!”

“Which is _exactly_ why you should present it, not me,” he murmured. “You know it from top to bottom _and_ backwards,”

“There are two reasons why you’re the one doing this presentation, Liam,” she continued. “Reason number one,” she paused. “Your mother _hates_ me,” she added. “Reason number two, you have to prove yourself to the board now that we’re married and you have all those shares of the company, babe,”

“In which the board is my _family_ , my own _blood_ relatives,” Liam rolled his eyes. “Besides, don’t they know that you’re the one that’s going to handle everything anyway?” He groaned in complaint. “Why do _I_ have to speak at this meeting?”

“They probably want to see that you actually care about VKI, maybe even more now that you have a considerable amount of shares. Or they _don’t_ know, I guess that’s a reasonable option too,”

“It’s not that I don’t care about the company,” he countered. “It’s just that…” He paused briefly. “I don’t really care about business and finances and all these numbers that make absolutely no sense!” He exclaimed before taking a huge bite of his bagel, practically eating the whole thing in one go as he pushed it inside his mouth, something that she definitely didn’t see him do very often when it came to carbohydrates.

“We’ve been through this presentation dozens of times, babe,” Fallon spoke softly while placing her already empty mug down on the coffee table. “You _know_ what you have to say, but for some reason you’re way too anxious and stressed out about it,” she explained, crawling towards him on the couch until they were face to face.

“We didn’t practice with you in that outfit,” Liam commented. “Can you really blame me for not being able to focus?” He questioned, glancing down at her chest as her current position allowed the front of his dress shirt to fall forward, exposing most of her collarbone and the valley between her breasts from his point of view.

“You have a meeting at your family’s empire in less than four hours so I suggest you start thinking with this head,” she began, ruffling his hair, “and not the one currently getting all excited inside your boxers,”

“I don’t want to study anymore,” he pouted, mostly to tease her as he placed the porcelain plate and white mug on the small table by his side of the couch.

“You complain _way_ too much, you know that?” Fallon responded, playing just as dirty when she felt his hands settling on her waist.

“Well, it appears that I’ve learned from the very best,” Liam shrugged, pulling her to him in a swift and experienced move.

“That’s not exactly what you should be learning for me, babe,” she muttered once she ended up on his legs, one knee on each side of his body as she straddled him. “I believe you have balance sheets and income statements to focus on, at the moment?” She reminded him.

“They will be still boring and stupid as hell one hour from now,” he replied nonchalantly while his fingers played deviously with the buttons of her shirt. “Which means I might as well have some fun before I’m back to that black hole you call a great career,”

“Some are born to write novels, some are born to be CEO’s,” Fallon mentioned, letting out a muffled moan when he started kissing her neck.

“Yeah, yeah,” Liam muttered. “Can you please stop talking now so I can kiss you?”

“Aren’t you doing just that, right now?” She questioned as he continued to pepper kisses down her collarbone while his fingers slowly unbuttoned the white dress shirt.

“You’re killing the mood with all of this talking about business,” he groaned against her skin.

“As far as I’m concerned, you _love_ when I talk about business,” Fallon frowned. “And by love I mean-”

“I know what you meant,” Liam interrupted her. “But that only happens when _you’re_ the one handling everything, showing me what a freaking spectacular business woman you are,” he explained.

“Well, if I’m not mistaken, you’re very hard right now so I suppose this talk is working just fine?” She teased him, glancing down at their joined bodies as she torturously rubbed her center over the evident bulge in his boxers.

“You’re not going to let me win this argument, are you?” He sighed in frustration when she shook her head. “Then you might as well let me have my way with you… since, you know, I’ve just admitted defeat,” he proposed.

“No, Liam, not now,” Fallon insisted, throwing him a serious look as she settled her hands on his shoulders.

“Move against me, babe,” Liam begged.

“What for?”

“Just,” he paused to take deep a breath.

“Liam,” Fallon began. “I love you,” she paused. “I really, really do but you have one hell of a presentation this afternoon and your speech and arguments have to be beyond flawless so you might as well keep studying,” she informed him, giving him one quick and last peck on the lips before jumping off his legs.

“Babe,” Liam insisted. “Come on,” he begged. “You know pretty damn well that we can do this in fifteen minutes,”

“Make all of their jaws drop to the floor at the meeting and I’m all yours,” she threw him a wink before returning to her side of the couch. “ _All_ yours,” she repeated while throwing herself at the back cushion and pulling her knees up.

“You’re mean,” he mumbled.

“I didn’t spend hours on a presentation that is going to impress the shit out of your family, and most specially your _mother_ , for you to make a complete fool out of yourself because you couldn’t keep it in your pants,” Fallon countered. “Now, grab your notes and keep practicing,”

* * *

“Along with VKI’s balance sheets and cash flow statements from the past five years, I chose to take a careful look at the company’s income statements for a more thorough analysis of the numbers,” Liam explained while looking between his cousin Elliott and his grandmother Eliza. “Since each director has one cost center assigned to their team, we have, therefore, a way to track down every team’s income and expenses, which allowed me to put together an income statement for each director,” he continued, pausing briefly to take a sip of his water as he looked across the room.

Fallon was sitting at the far end of the table, writing down a few notes on her notepad but the moment she felt her husband’s eyes on her, she couldn’t help but raise her chin to meet the ocean blue orbs that she loved so much. It was impossible not to stare at the recently turned thirty years old man as he spoke with so much knowledge and authority about the company’s numbers. Dressed in a dark blue pair of jeans and his favorite white dress shirt, he looked as handsome as ever, especially when talking about Van Kirk Industries matters.

Even though he was halfway through his business presentation, standing right between the large television and the wide wooden table, she could tell he was nervous by his slightly disheveled hair and by the way he kept fidgeting with the platinum wedding band on his left hand. Before he could skip to the next slide, she offered him a smile and nodded lightly in encouragement, telling him in nothing but gestures that he was doing a great job.

“Since this meeting is all about deciding which director will be able to revisit their budget for the next semester, it’s extremely important that we analyze and talk about each team individually,” he mentioned. “It has come to my attention that we have three distinct situations here, which all lead to certain conclusions but can’t exactly be set on stone as there are plenty of other factors that could influence the decision,” he told them.

“Oh, how considerate of you to start with me,” Mercedes, the Chief Marketing Officer - responsible for marketing and branding - spoke up.

“When we go back five years, Mercedes, we can see that while your revenue has been rising, your General and Administrative costs have been increasing twice as fast,” Liam looked at his Uncle Max’s second wife. “Since your team isn’t responsible for selling any product or offering any service, we don’t really have a specific number for revenues, costs of good solds or even gross profit but we can estimate a number of income you bring to this company by tracking all of the marketing promotions and branding advertisements you’re in charge of,” he spoke while pointing to the detailed income statement presented on the flat screen television behind him.

“We’ve been using high technology and extremely innovative softwares to guarantee we have the best data and strategies for VKI’s Customer Relationship Management,” Mercedes countered as soon as she realized he was just about to comment on the high expenses of her team. “As the chief of technology, Elliott can vouch for me here,”

“I was actually going to bring to everyone’s attention how much your team has been spending on salaries, Mercedes,” he informed her. “Your turnover rate seems to be the biggest one in Van Kirk Industries and even though you’ve had the same amount of employees for the past three years at least, it’s a bit odd to me that the salary of your team is growing around eight percent a year even though the country’s inflation has been somewhere between one and two percent during the same period,”

“It’s not exactly easy hiring people that are qualified enough to get the job done,” she groaned, clearly unhappy with everything Liam had been pointing out about her team.

“Maybe if you stopped hiring seniors when you could be hiring juniors, like I told you to do, you wouldn’t be having this argument, Mercedes,” Laura shrugged.

“I’m sure having an incredibly qualified team is essential, Mercedes, but perhaps it’s something you should reconsider?” Liam suggested. “Your net profit is great, as it has been for the past five years but even though you’ve been helping the company increase its revenue, you’ve been also increasing its expenses,” he told her. “Which means your profit will remain the same, unless you cut your costs or bring twice as much revenue… without increasing the costs of the operation, of course,”

“Well, I guess the marketing team isn’t the one reviewing their budget. Am I right?” Mercedes murmured.

“Not this time, I’m afraid, Mercedes,” he offered her an apologetically smile before switching to the next slide of his presentation.

As Liam reached for the glass in front of him to take another sip of his water, he barely noticed his wife staring at him, totally oblivious to the proudest smile she had plastered on her lips as she watched him deliver the best presentation he could ever deliver to his family. They had rehearsed his speech dozens of times but at that moment, while he presented it for real with all the nervousness caused by being surrounded by Van Kirk’s, she knew that none of the times they had practiced came even close to _that_ presentation right she was witnessing right there. 

Fallon was fully aware that he didn’t enjoy the subject and that he didn’t exactly care for Van Kirk Industries, but she knew he was doing his best, determined to give his family exactly what they hoped for by being part of one of their board meetings and she surely couldn’t be prouder of him for it.

“Jamison,” Liam began as he moved onto the next director. “I’ve pretty much analyzed every single number your team had to offer in order to at least keep you in the run for the budget review, but I can tell you that, unfortunately, this year won’t be your year,” he explained. “You have been bringing a great amount of profit in the past couple of years but during this first semester specifically, I’ve noticed that most of your income has come from expired investments, which means that you got the amount you invested a while back plus the investment’s return but you haven’t exactly brought _new_ income to Van Kirk Industries during this semester,” he told him, trying to use the words his wife had so patiently taught him even though he didn’t know what half of them truly meant.

“The return on those investments were fantastic, Jack!” Jamison exclaimed. “How can you tell me I can’t have a budget review just because my team is not bringing _new_ income to the company? I’m investing our budget wisely and making even _more_ money with it,”

“Exactly,” he nodded. “If you need more money for your team, you can use the return you’ve gotten on your investments but Van Kirk Industries is planning a budget review so the company can end the year with an increase of ten percent in our net profit,” he reminded him. “Therefore, we should allocate our resources on a team that will be able to achieve such growth in a little more than six months,”

“This is unbelievable!” He complained. “I pretty much make the money work for me and I get nothing in return?”

“Well, Jamison, when you start bringing healthy and sustainable revenue to this company, we can discuss your budget number,” Eliza, the company’s COO and oldest Van Kirk in the room, spoke up while glancing at her nephew.

“Can I just say I’m really enjoying where this is headed?” Laura looked between the members of the board before focusing on her one and only son. “Not to mention how proud I am of my boy?” She threw him a wink. “Who’s finally interested in his family’s dynasty,”

“Please, mother, don’t fool yourself,” Liam quickly responded. “I’m here because I _have_ to be,” he reminded her. “This kind of job is certainly not for me but since you’ve all requested this meeting, here I am,”

“Why would you even leave a _Carrington_ in charge of your shares, Liam?” She questioned, rolling her eyes as she made sure to let the entire board know about his decision of putting Fallon in charge of every decision that was _his_ by birth right.

“Because I’m a writer and I have no intention of following any career that is related to business and my wife just happens to be an extraordinary business woman,” he explained. “Oh, and most important of all, she’s a _Ridley_ , not a Carrington…”

“If you hadn’t decided to change your birth name to this ordinary, silly name you carry now,” Nathan began. “You wouldn’t be having this conversation with Aunt Laura,” he commented. “Because this hottie over here would be a Van Kirk after you two tied the knot,” he spoke, mainly focused on the brunette’s cleavage from across the wide table.

“That _hottie_ over there,” Liam countered. “Is my _wife_ so you better show her some respect,”

“I’m just saying,” he shrugged.

“I would like to continue my presentation now, if that’s alright with you two?” The writer requested. “Unless you want to continue acting like an asshole, Nathan, and you’re no longer interested in reviewing your budget, mother?” He continued, his cheeks reddening as his blood started boiling in both anger and annoyment.

“You may go on,” Laura was the first to speak. Out of the three directors with a potential budget review, her team was the only one left and the first of two had already been denied the extra money, which could only mean one thing. “Please, dear, continue,” she added in the sweetest tone.

* * *

“See, I knew you could do it,” Fallon offered him one of her brightest smiles as she walked towards him.

“I must admit it wasn’t easy,” Liam could only chuckle, watching as she swayed her hips in his direction once they were finally alone in the conference room.

“You were great, babe,” she replied. “Your arguments were solid, you didn’t stutter… you proved to everyone in this room that you knew what you were talking about,”

“You think this one meeting is going to be enough?” He asked, settling his hands on her waist when she approached him. “Because I really don’t want to go through this nightmare again,”

“Come on, Liam, it couldn’t have been _that_ bad,” Fallon rolled her eyes playfully.

“You and I both know I still don’t have any idea of what half of that presentation means,” Liam admitted and she couldn’t help but burst out laughing at his statement.

“You were pretty hot though,” she shrugged.

“I was, yeah?” He teased her, tickling her sides while staring deeply into her blue eyes.

“Are you kidding me?” Fallon whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck before leaning in for a quick kiss. “Talking back to your aunts and uncles, discussing the company’s numbers… ugh, you were really, _really_ hot, babe,” she added softly, her voice hushed as she rubbed her bottom lip teasingly against his. “Doing things to me kind of hot, if you know what I mean,”

“Tell me more about it then,” Liam requested.

Tightening the grip of his fingers on her waist, he glanced at the door and a mischievous grin quickly appeared on the corner of his lips when he remembered something Fallon had told him earlier that day, back when he was practicing his presentation. Instead of saying anything about it, however, all he did was capture her lips in his as he closed the distance between them.

Although the kiss started slowly, their lips moving against each other in a satisfying and synchronized rhythm, it didn’t take long for things to escalate. Fallon’s hands flew to the back of his head and her fingers slipped into his hair once he wrapped his tongue around hers. As their tongues tangled around one another, fighting a battle of passion, lust and desire against each other, Liam pulled her [Gucci crêpe shirt](https://www.gucci.com/us/en/pr/women/ready-to-wear-for-women/tops-shirts-for-women/blouses-for-women/gg-crepe-de-chine-silk-shirt-p-627773ZAEJF5128) out of her black high-waisted flare pants before slipping his hands inside the peony pink silk item.

They were so lost in one another, moaning each other’s names in between kisses and teasing bites that, before they could even truly understand what was happening inside that conference room, he was pushing himself against her while pulling her up to sit on the wooden table.

~

“My office. Now!” Laura exclaimed as soon as she walked past the desk of her outstanding personal assistant, the Portuguese young woman that had moved from Lisbon to New York in search of the famous American Dream.

“Right away,” Carolina nodded, locking the screen of her laptop before pushing herself off her chair. “By the look on your face, I can only imagine that you’re the one doing the budget review?” She asked while following her boss into the private office.

“I am,” the blonde responded shortly. “Our numbers don’t lie and it seems like everyone in that board is finally starting to see and recognize that the e-commerce business won’t stop growing anytime soon,” she rolled her eyes. “In fact, it’s only getting bigger and bigger worldwide,”

“The more money we invest in it, the higher the chances of an even bigger outcome,”

“Exactly,” Laura murmured. “The number itself is still pending approval but we need to know exactly where we’re going to allocate that money once it’s ours to use,” she explained, taking her reading glasses off her face for a moment before staring up at her personal assistant. “We should be granted a couple more millions for the rest of the year and my goal is to bring at least half of that as net profit,”

“A million dollars _after_ taxes?” Carolina’s eyes widened at the challenging and audacious goal her boss was setting for their team.

“As far as I’m concerned, that’s pretty much the definition of a net profit, isn’t it?”

“It is,” she muttered. “It’s just…” She paused. “A bold and risky number, boss, that’s all,”

“Well, if I can make that happen, my bonus this year will double,” Laura informed her. “Which pretty much means _your_ bonus has a potential of being twice as big as the one you received last year,” she explained. “Plenty to fly to Lisbon at least twice a year to see those cats you love so much, I suppose?”

~

“Babe,” Fallon moaned when he started making his way down her neck. “Liam, stop,” she whispered, looking around the empty conference room while his hands traveled up her body, his fingers digging deep into her skin.

“I believe you mentioned something about being all mine if I did that stupid presentation,” Liam murmured, briefly taking his lips off her neck.

“I believe,” she began. “I told you to make all of their jaws drop with the presentation,” she reminded him.

“They were very impressed, if you ask me,” he shrugged.

“You were great, but I don’t really think you made their jaws drop to the floor, babe,” Fallon countered, throwing in a teasing tone in her voice as she looked into his eyes.

“Maybe I didn’t make those _Van Kirk’s_ jaws drop but I certainly got someone very excited with my presentation,” Liam smirked while leaning closer to her.

“Well, it’s not every day I get to see my writer husband talking about my favorite subject,” she murmured, tightening her grip on his hair when he took her earlobe between his teeth. “Liam,” she moaned.

“What do you want, babe?” He asked, a mischievous grin on his lips as he moved one hand down to her center. “Tell me what you want, _honey_ , and I will give it to you,” he added playfully.

“Talk business to me,” Fallon requested, allowing her long hair to fall back as he sucked on the soft skin of her earlobe. “Tell me about VKI’s numbers,” she begged before closing her eyes once his fingers started fidgeting with the button and zipper of her pants.

“You want to get wet by listening to me talk about numbers, babe?” Liam questioned, his voice low and rispy against her ear.

“I’m already,” she paused when she felt him pulling the tiny zipper down. “Wet,”

“That’s okay,” he replied. “I can always make you even more ready than you already are,” he threw her a wink.

“Liam,” Fallon groaned, clearly bothered by how long it was taking for him to actually do something about her current situation.

“I’m so satisfied with the results your team has brought to the company this year, Mrs. Ridley,” Liam began while whispering in her ear. “I’ve analyzed your income statements and your cash flow of the past five years and let me tell you something, you’ve been doing _really_ well, Mrs. Ridley,” he spoke teasingly.

“How well?” She asked before glancing down to his hand, biting on her bottom lip once it disappeared into the black fabric, bypassing her lacy panties as it reached her most sensitive spot. “Oh god,” she moaned in a slightly louder tone.

“I’m certainly impressed with how you’ve been increasing your income by over ten percent every year,” he continued. “Your expenses are pretty much constant… no major increases or falls,” he added, running his fingers carefully up and down against her lips before taking a moment to tease her clit properly with the back of his thumb.

“Oh god!” Fallon screamed once he started to flicker her clit. “Do you like my profit margin, Liam?”

“You have no idea, Mrs. Ridley, you have no idea,” he murmured, meeting her bright blue orbs with his own as he gently pushed his middle finger inside of her.

~

“I want you to go through the projects we’ve already pre-selected,” Laura instructed in a serious and demanding as she glanced up at her personal assistant.

“Okay,” Carolina replied, writing down as many notes as she could on her Van Kirk Industries’ Moleskine.

“I want you to use three categories to rank them,” the director continued. “First, order them by importance, starting by the ones we should definitely consider in order to keep the whole operation going,” she spoke while reaching for the folders to her right that weren’t on her desk when she left for the board meeting. “Then, I want you to order them by the amount of investment they require and last, but not least, I want you to order them by how much we expect of net profit for each of them,”

“Alright, alright,” the Portuguese young woman mumbled, biting on her bottom lip while scribbling on the pastel yellow page. “Anything else, boss?”

“Where are the employee performance reviews for this quarter?” Laura questioned.

“Those three white binders,” Carolina pointed to the pile on the far end of the glass desk.

“Did you send out that request to the marketing team that I asked you this morning?”

“I emailed them earlier this morning to request an extra investment on the e-commerce advertisement for people between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five,” the brunette explained. “Fifty-thousand dollars,”

“Anything else I need to know?” Laura asked, without even bothering to look at her assistant as she went through the dozen reports and files scattered all over her desk.

“About an hour ago I went down to floor 45 myself to talk about the bug we’ve found on our home page,” Carolina told her. “I sat down next to Tony and explained everything to him, including exactly what we need and how _fast_ we need it,” she commented. “However, we know how slow those people at IT can be so maybe having a word in private with Elliott would speed up the process?”

“I will talk to him,” she nodded. “Have you finished my speech for tomorrow’s gala?”

“I have,” she replied shortly. “I typed three versions,” she began while taking a couple of steps towards the desk. “One focuses on family, the second one leans towards your personal self and the third one well… it’s mostly business stuff,” she explained before handing the director a thin blue folder.

“I will leave my notes on your desk once I’m done reading them,” Laura informed her. “What about my dress?”

“The tailor has already delivered it to your address,” Carolina told her. “Your housekeeper has confirmed it and it’s currently hanging in your closet as we speak,”

“Great,” she murmured. “I would like to see those projects tonight so you may go,”

~

“Holy fuck!” Fallon’s hand flew to her mouth when Liam thrust even deeper into her.

“It’s okay,” he chuckled softly, covering her hand with his before taking it back to his ass. “Nobody can hear us, babe,” he reminded her while moving his hips forward, still trying to figure out the best rhythm.

“There’s not a single blind closed in this room, Liam,”

“It’s a great thing we’re all the way up on the fiftieth floor then,” Liam shrugged, placing one hand on her lower back to pull her closer to him.

“Pretty much like _every_ building in Manhattan,” she murmured.

Fallon was in the middle of an eye roll, ready to talk back to him when he increased the speed of his body against hers. The hand on his back flew to his hair and the other tightened its grip on his ass, squeezing his cheek hard as her fingers got lost in the short strands on top of his head. She had no idea where her pants had ended up, but knowing her husband, she could only guess they were discarded somewhere on the floor of the conference room while his jeans continued pooled around his ankles along with his white Hugo Boss boxers.

“Tell me how hot I looked during the presentation, Fal,” Liam requested, focusing on nothing but her dilated pupils as his thumb played with her clit.

“So fucking hot, Liam,” she muttered, almost incoherently. “Faster,” she begged while wrapping her legs even tighter around his body to make sure there was barely any room for him to move and consequently withdraw from her.

“Were you dreaming about this while you were watching me talk about the company’s numbers?” He asked, pulling out until there was nothing but his tip inside of her before quickly thrusting back in.

“Oh Liam!” Fallon screamed in pleasure.

“I don’t think that was an answer,” Liam commented. “Maybe I should stop?” He threatened, slowly pulling out of her.

“Don’t you dare,” she threw him a glare, using the hand on his ass in her favor as she pulled him back to her.

“Then answer me,” he demanded. “Did you dream of fucking me on this very desk when I was telling the board about VKI’s budget plan?”

“Yes,” Fallon finally answered.

“How do you like this, babe?” Liam glanced down at their joined bodies, pressing his thumb harder against her clit as his dick continued to move in the most perfect rhythm inside of her.

“It’s heaven,” she mumbled.

“I can’t believe I’m fucking you in the main conference room at Van Kirk Industries headquarters,” he murmured before closing his eyes.

Liam could already feel his member throbbing inside of her and even with her natural lubrication and all of his precum, both helping his erection slide easily back and forth, his thrusts were quickly becoming more and more sloppy as his orgasm approached. Having noticed Fallon could barely speak properly, her sentences no longer than three or four words, he knew that she was as close as he was to her climax.

“Come, babe,” Liam encouraged her.

“With you,” Fallon whispered, clinging to his body as she felt the wave of her orgasm rushing through her. “Oh my god!” She exclaimed. “Liam,” she added. “Oh god!”

“Yes, Fallon, that’s it,” he replied. “Come for me, babe,” he spoke softly.

“Liam…” She continued and when she felt the desperate and uncontrollable need to scream, not able to hold her orgasm a second longer, she bit onto his shoulder to prevent the entire floor from hearing the loud sound of her voice as her husband made her come undone on the conference room’s desk.

“I’m with you, babe,” Liam reassured her as soon as he reached his own climax. “I’m right there with you,” he repeated, keeping his body completely still while he emptied himself inside of her, slowly filling her up with his cum as she relaxed in his arms.

~

“My aunt better be treating you well,” Elliott whispered, resting one thigh atop the young personal assistant’s desk, his left one holding his body weight with the foot still on the floor as he leaned his torso towards her.

“Nothing a CTO like you should be worrying about,” Carolina shook her head, her cheeks blushing shyly as she avoided his piercing blue eyes and intense gaze.

“Let’s just say my aunt changes assistants like she changes clothes,” he shrugged. “I just want to make sure you like working at Van Kirk Industries,” he offered her a smirk.

“This is already my second year here, Elliott,” she reminded him. 

“Still. Aunt Laura can be really mean sometimes,” he mentioned. “Actually, _most_ of the time but I’m actually surprised at how little I see her yelling at you,”

“Laura certainly has her moments,” the young brunette admitted. “It’s not always easy but thankfully, I seem to be finding my way around it,”

“You know you can tell me if she does something you don’t like, right?”

“I wouldn’t be so worried about it, Elliott, really,” she added politely. “I’m sure you have a lot of things on your mind to worry about a foreign assistant,” she rolled her eyes before returning her attention to the open presentation on her laptop.

“Well, you’re one of them,” Elliott threw her a wink as soon as she raised her chin and he was finally able to meet her eyes.

“Don’t say things you don’t mean, Elliott,” Carolina replied. “It doesn’t suit you,”

“I’ve said it before,” he frowned, “and I remember you having a different response from the one you just gave me now,” he paused. “May I ask what changed?”

“Last time,” Carolina stared up at him, letting go of her mouse before allowing her hand to slowly wander towards his on the wooden desk. “We were having drinks at a bar, not in the middle of the office like we are now,”

“My last name is all over these walls so I wouldn’t exactly consider it a bad thing,” Elliott spoke nonchalantly, sliding his hand a couple of inches to the right before running the tip of his fingers softly over her thumb.

“Your name being all over these walls is _exactly_ why I consider this a bad thing, Elliott,” she countered, her tone serious as she carefully retrieved her hand.

“You still haven’t answered the text I sent you last night, by the way,” he mentioned.

“Were you drunk when you sent me that?” Carolina questioned right away, a suspicious frown on her forehead.

“Of course not,” Elliott answered just as fast, raising his right hand up to her face. “I was actually on my way to Eleven Madison Park to have dinner with my grandmother,” he explained while delicately tucking a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear. “Very much sober, might I add,”

“I thought _I_ was going to talk to Elliott about the home page’s bug?”

They both turned towards the private office behind Carolina’s desk when they heard the familiar voice, always loud and imposing as it echoed around the entire floor, only to find Laura standing right in front of the glass door. She held her reading glasses in her right hand and what seemed to be a file in her left one as she watched, with not so much amusement, the cozy interaction between her nephew and her personal assistant.

“You asked to see me, Aunt Laura,” Elliott was the first one to speak. “Here I am,” he added shortly, standing up straight.

“Flirting with my assistant, I see,” Laura commented, nodding towards the embarrassed young woman that only wished she had a place to hide at that moment.

“She mentioned something about the bug earlier today,” he told her. “I was just asking more details about it,”

“Of course you were,” the blonde woman rolled her eyes as a sigh escaped her. “Maybe try keeping it in your pants this time because you and I need to discuss some important IT matters,” she pointed towards the open door, taking a step to the left as she waited for him to enter her office.

“Don’t forget to reply to my text, beautiful,” Elliott whispered at her, in the lowest tone he could possibly speak, before heading towards the elegant office.

“Carolina, focus on those projects, will you?” Laura demanded, hitting her nephew on the head with the file in her hand as she closed the glass door behind them.

~

“Liam,” Fallon called out, her long nails running aimlessly over the wooden table as she desperately tried to grasp onto something. “We need to go,” she reminded him.

“I’m not done yet,” Liam replied while raising his head from between her legs. “What kind of husband would I be if I stopped pleasuring you after _one_ orgasm?” He asked, spreading her lips with his fingers before leaning forward to give her entrance a long and lustful lick.

“Considering we’re still in this freaking conference room, a pretty smart one,” she groaned. “Oh my god, what are you doing to me, Liam?” She begged as soon as she felt his middle finger entering her, slipping inside with ease since she was still covered in his cum.

It had taken the young couple about five minutes to recover from their synchronized orgasm and, for that period of time, none of them dared to move or break the contact between their bodies. However, the moment Liam pulled out of her, making her think he was going to grab their clothes for them to finally head back to his apartment, it only took her a second to realize he had other plans. Grabbing one of the leather chairs, he had sat down on it before positioning himself between her spread open legs.

“I’m giving you another orgasm, Fal,” he murmured, his breath hot against her center as he didn’t even bother to move his lips away from her wet core while talking.

“I’m lying half naked on this damn desk, Liam,” Fallon countered, moving her head from one side to another against the wooden table. “What if someone walks in?”

“No one is going to walk in, babe,” Liam promised her.

“Oh my god!” She screamed when she finally understood why he _knew_ , with so much certainty, that nobody was going to walk in on them. “You booked this room for the following time frame, didn’t you?”

“Took you long enough, babe,” he couldn’t help but laugh at the glare she was currently giving him as she held her body weight against the table with both her elbows.

“How long do we still have?” Fallon asked, suddenly becoming a lot more interested in their current activity.

“About fifteen minutes,” Liam glanced at the silver Rolex on his wrist. “You taste so fucking good, Fallon,” he mentioned before returning to his task of sucking her swollen bundle of nerves while his middle and index fingers curled inside of her to reach her G-spot.

“That’s…” She paused when a loud moan escaped her lungs. “Oh god, keep doing that!”

“I can taste myself on you and I can’t get over it, babe,” he told her. “Come for me, Fallon, come for me again so I can taste more of you,” he demanded, gathering up speed with his fingers as her moans continued to echo around the conference room.

“I’m not far,” Fallon informed her. “Just keep doing what you’re doing, babe,” she muttered between clenched teeth, one hand flying to the back of his head as her fingers finally found something to grip tightly to. “Oh yes,” she exclaimed when he started flickering her clit with his thumb. “I’m almost there, yes! Like that, babe, just like that,” she rambled, her eyes rolling to the back of her head when he increased the sucking.

“Come for me right where those Van Kirk’s watched me talk about the company’s numbers, babe,” Liam whispered against her core. “Come right where _you_ watched your husband do a business presentation, all by himself,”

“I’m,” she paused, pushing him even further against her center once his thumb was replaced by the tip of his tongue at teasing her clit. “Holy fuck, Liam!” She screamed again, letting her body fall back on the table when she finally gave in to him.

“Good girl,” he spoke softly, lowering the speed of his fingers while watching her come down from her high. “I’m going to get you clean now, okay?” He informed, crashing his mouth against her dripping wet core once more.

“You’re going to give me another one with that tongue if you don’t stop,” Fallon warned him.

“Well, it’s not every day I give my wife multiple orgasms at Van Kirk Industries so I believe I’m accepting this challenge,” Liam offered her a smile before wrapping one arm around each of her legs, pulling her closer to the edge of the table while he slid his chair forward, ready to work on his mission of getting a third orgasm out of his wife.

* * *

“Branzino with spinach and tomatoes for the lady,” the polite waiter spoke as he placed the fish dish in front of Fallon. “Filet mignon and potatoes for the gentleman,” he added while carefully setting the porcelain plate down on the table.

“Thank you,” the young couple replied simultaneously.

“Would you like another glass of wine?” He asked them.

“Sure,” Liam replied. “Another bottle of Perrier as well, please,”

“Glass of Pinot Noir for you and glass of Sancerre for you, Ma’am?” He glanced between them, just to be sure they wanted a refill of the red and white wine they had ordered earlier that night.

“Exactly,” Fallon nodded. “I see someone is still thinking about our little afternoon escapade,” she teased her husband once the waiter excused himself from their table.

They had been playing footsie for the past fifteen minutes, rubbing their feet against each other as they sipped on their drinks and enjoyed the beautiful, warm evening around them. The sky was pitch black but perfectly clear, contrasting against all the lights from the hundreds of buildings in the Manhattan skyline and providing them with an extraordinary waterfront view of the famous island from their table. Cecconi’s Dumbo was one of Liam’s all time favorite restaurants in New York and if there was one place in that entire city that he wanted to take his wife out on a date, it was the modern day classic italian restaurant located only two minutes from the East River, in Brooklyn.

“Can you blame me?” Liam questioned, throwing her a devious grin as he slowly ran his ankle up and down her calf.

“No, of course not,” she chuckled before raising the crystal glass up to her lips to take a sip of her Sancerre. “I just hope you’re not so eager to go again this soon,” she murmured softly, running the thin heel of her Louboutin black pumps delicately against his leg through the fabric of his pants.

“I always am,” he threw her a playful wink and she almost spit the wine she had just drunk. “I’m going to be a gentleman though and wait until we get home to make a move on you,”

“You better,” Fallon replied while eating a piece of her branzino. “I’m a woman of principles and even though you’ve been nothing but a sweetheart during this date, I’m still not sure you’re worthy of a good night kiss,” she teased him. “Let alone _that_ ,”

“Oh, as if _you_ could resist not kissing a cute and handsome man like this at the end of this date,” Liam countered, pointing at himself with his thumb.

“You think cute and handsome is enough to smudge this beautiful red lipstick that took almost five minutes to reach perfection?” She spoke before tracing her top lip mischievously with her tongue.

“You’re _eating_ , Fallon,” he couldn’t help but laugh, rolling her eyes at her lame excuse. “As great as your makeup is, I don’t think that red lipstick of yours is going to remain as intact and perfect, as you say it is, throughout the entire dinner,” he shrugged. “Especially not after I order the _amazing_ profiteroles they have on their dessert menu,” he added, a devious grin on his lips as he closed his eyes and faked a moan to tease her even more, all while increasing the speed of his leg against hers.

“This branzino is certainly delicious, in case you’re wondering,” Fallon replied nonchalantly.

“I’m not,” Liam informed her. “What I’m really wondering about is how long you’re going to keep up with this act before you move closer to give your husband a kiss,”

“You think he deserves one?” She questioned. “Maybe I should wait a bit longer to see if he reaches for the check?”

“I thought independent and modern women liked to split the check half and half,” he murmured.

“Yes, but as a gentleman, you should reach for the check anyway,” Fallon told him.

“Yeah, yeah, I will reach for the check,” Liam nodded in agreement, settling one hand on her thigh as he leaned towards her. “Now stop teasing me,” he whispered before crashing his lips against hers.

“Why? I love teasing you,” she replied against his lips, giving him one more peck before returning her attention to the food in front of her.

“Sometimes I can’t help but ask myself whether you’re teasing or just being mean,” he admitted with a soft giggle.

“Do I need to remind you that _you’re_ the one who started flirting?” Fallon countered. “Or did your foot just happen to rub itself against my leg by accident and with no purpose whatsoever?” She threw him a puzzled yet playful look.

“You rubbed it back,” Liam replied while taking a sip of his wine. “I can do this all night, Fallon,” he chuckled. “I did learn from the best, after all,” he added, only to receive a not so pleased eye roll.

“Focus on your meal, babe,”

“I’d rather pay attention to something else,” he quickly countered, watching as the lights from the street illuminated her figure.

Her long brown waves were shining, her blue eyes sparkling under the yellow lights and he couldn’t think of anything more beautiful than his gorgeous wife, at that moment. When Fallon looked down at her plate, carefully reaching for another bite of what was left of her branzino, a strand of hair fell in front of her face and his first instinct was to reach out. She was so lost in her food she jumped slightly at the feeling of his hand traveling down her cheek, his fingers running softly against her skin before tucking the loose strand of dark brown hair behind her ear.

“I love you so much, Fal,” his tone was low as he whispered the words.

“I love you too, Liam,” Fallon replied, leaning against his gentle touch while his thumb delicately traced her cheekbone.

“I hope you’re enjoying this trip,” Liam spoke softly, placing his cutlery parallel across the plate once he was done with his dinner. “I know it’s only been one day but,”

“Shh,” she interrupted him, resting a hand on his thigh before he could finish his sentence. “Today was great, babe,” she reassured him.

Offering him a smile, Fallon scooted her chair in his direction to get closer to him. As soon as she was right by his side, Liam threw one arm over her shoulders and pulled her to him as she leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Even though we were pretty much working all day, it was a great day,”

“I would be a lot more interested in business if every meeting ended like that,” Liam admitted.

“That was a one time thing, remember?” Fallon looked up at him as he settled his other arm around her stomach.

“Fucking you in the conference room of Van Kirk Industries was better than anything I could have ever imagine, Fallon,” he whispered in her ear, tightening the grip of his arm to make sure her body was as close as possible to his. “I certainly wouldn’t mind having to present to that board more often with that kind of reward,”

“You can’t say those things in my ear when we’re in public,” she muttered, closing her eyes at the amazing feeling provided by his strong arms around her frame.

“Why not?”

“It’s not polite,” she replied right away.

“Why isn’t it polite, my dear?” Liam asked teasingly.

“Because you’re making me feel things that you shouldn’t make me feel when we’re having dinner at a restaurant,” Fallon explained. “It’s not polite to do that to your innocent wife, babe,”

“My _innocent_ wife?” He couldn’t hold the laugh that escaped his lungs at her words. “Have you seen her? Because I’m pretty sure it’s not the one I’m currently hugging,”

“Hey! I _can_ be innocent, okay?” She groaned.

“Says the one who laid down on the table of VKI’s conference room just to get some oral,”

“Liam!” Fallon exclaimed, hitting his hand.

“I didn’t ask for an innocent wife,” Liam clarified. “I married you for a reason and well,” he paused, leaning forward until his lips were only an inch away from her ear. “I just _love_ how naughty you are, Mrs. Ridley,” he whispered, his voice filled with lust as she squeezed his thigh, fighting against the urge to move her hand up his leg when he ran his tongue around her earlobe. “Perfectly naughty, extremely sexy and incredibly hot,” he muttered in a hushed tone.

“Liam Ridley, you better stop with that voice,” she warned him. “You’ve already made me give in this afternoon at your family’s office, do _not_ make me get all worked up at this restaurant,” she said seriously. “Why don’t you stare at the skyline? At Brooklyn Bridge?” She suggested. “I don’t know, just do anything that doesn’t involve teasing your wife to the point of no return,”

“What exactly would the point of no return be?” He frowned, lowering his arm until it was resting on her legs. “If you don’t mind me asking?” He murmured while playing with the lamé tulle skirt of her dress.

“I _do_ mind you asking, yes,” Fallon mentioned before turning towards him to place a kiss on his neck. “So why don’t we watch those people walking by the river, the lights shining on the skyline and _then_ , when we are back _home_ , I can tell you what the point of no return is?”

“I think I can agree to those terms,” Liam replied. “On one condition though,” he quickly added.

“What would that condition be?” She questioned.

“A kiss,” he responded. “A _proper_ kiss,” he spoke as soon as he recognized the look in her eyes, telling him she considered that condition way too easy.

“What exactly do you consider a proper kiss, Mr. Ridley?” Fallon rolled her eyes.

“Tongue,”

“Seems fair,” she nodded.

“And my hand under your dress,” he added.

“Not happening,” she spoke a second later.

“Fine,” Liam sighed. “One kiss with tongue… then we order those profiteroles?” He suggested.

“I think we have ourselves a deal,” Fallon replied while turning on her seat.

In a split second, they were face to face, both staring at each other in complete awe as they waited for the other to take the first step. The moment her blue eyes met his matching ones, all Fallon could do was smile, thinking about how much she loved the man in front of her. Raising one hand, Liam cupped her cheek then slowly leaned forward and as his thumb traced soft circles on her cheek, he captured her lips with his.

Much to her surprise, he took his time moving against her lips. Suddenly, nothing else mattered but the two of them and it certainly felt like they were the only ones in that restaurant when Fallon slightly opened her lips to grant him access before allowing his tongue to finally join hers. The loud chattering at the nearby tables and the constant walking of the waiters and waitress around the restaurant were both completely oblivious to the young couple, because their focus was on each other and each other alone. He let out a muffled moan when she bit his bottom lip, pulling on the soft area before crashing her mouth back against his, setting up a steady rhythm while he intertwined his hand with hers on her lap.

At that moment, it wasn’t a battle for dominance or a desperate need to fulfil their own pool of desire but that didn’t make the kiss any less passionate. In fact, the longer their lips moved against one another and their tongues tangled around each other, increasing speed at every second, the more the need for each other grew. A need, however, that was different from all the teasing and bantering that their entire date was about because as they broke the kiss, it only took a second for Fallon to lean against Liam, snuggling against his chest as he threw his arm behind her back. Pulling her closer to him, he placed a kiss on the top of her head before tightening his grip on her smaller frame as they both stared at the beautiful Manhattan skyline ahead of them.

* * *

“You think you can handle a walk?” Liam asked as they stepped out of the restaurant. “We could maybe head towards the bridge?” He suggested, staring at her as if he was a child waiting to play his favorite toy.

“Yeah, sure,” Fallon replied, smiling at the excitement plastered on his face.

“I’ve always loved walking across the bridge to stare at the skyline back when I lived here,” he commented, leading the way up Water Street in the direction of the famous bridge’s entryway. “I would walk all the way here, buy some ice cream and then walk back to Manhattan,” he told her. “It would drive my mother crazy,” he chuckled.

“Is this your way of saying you want to _walk_ back to Manhattan?” Her eyes widened in both shock and surprise as she turned towards him.

“What do you say?” 

Fallon could tell he wanted to walk by the look in his eyes. He had mentioned how beautiful the view from the bridge was about two or three times throughout dinner and she couldn’t exactly be sure whether he was throwing hints at her or if he was simply telling her about one of the many things he loved about New York. However, she was starting to realize it was most likely the first option.

“We could get ice cream on our way back,” he added, hoping the possibility of a second round of dessert would be enough to convince her.

It was only ten o’clock and the weather was delightful so the only thing stopping her from agreeing to his idea right away was the pair of four-inch Louboutin’s on her feet. As she glanced down at the designer black pumps before meeting the bright blue of her husband’s eyes once more, she didn’t have the heart to deny him his request.

“Only if you get me _two_ scoops of that ice cream,” Fallon threw him a wink.

“I know just the right place,” Liam replied in excitement. “Hold on,” he murmured when she started walking. “I know it doesn’t really go with your fancy dress but I can feel you shivering, babe,” he explained while pulling the black leather jacket off his shoulders.

“It’s okay, Liam, I’m not cold,” she reassured him.

“I insist,” his tone was serious.

Taking a step forward, he held the Hugo Boss jacket out for her until she slipped both arms into its sleeves. Once the item was perfectly settled on her shoulders, her first instinct was to close her arms around herself, proving to him that she was indeed slightly cold and was slowly getting accustomed to the warmth of his jacket.

“I love you,” Liam spoke softly, throwing his right arm over her shoulders before planting a kiss on her forehead.

“I love you too, babe,” Fallon whispered. “Thanks for dinner, it was great,”

“I’m glad you liked it,” he offered her a smile. “I love that you’ve been more open to trying new things ever since we got married... like coming to Brooklyn for dinner instead of going to those overrated Manhattan restaurants, going on night walks with me…”

“As long as I’m with you, it doesn’t really matter,” she admitted. “You’ve taught me that, remember?” She winked.

It took them about fifteen minutes to reach the first neo-gothic stone tower of Brooklyn Bridge hand in hand. While Liam was busy staring at every building on Manhattan island, their lights shining against his blue orbs as he licked the scoop of strawberry cream on top of his cone, Fallon, on the other hand, could only ignore the famous skylight as she took her time watching him. Her two scoops of chocolate chip ice cream were starting to melt down her manicured nails and long, thin fingers but she couldn’t seem to take her eyes off him. 

Although her heels were starting to slowly bother her, making her wonder why she always insisted on wearing that kind of shoe every time she went out, being there with him made it all worth it. He was just _so_ happy and she absolutely loved that carefree and peaceful look on his face.

Deep down, she wished she had gotten to know _his_ New York, as he liked to call it, sooner. Maybe before they were married or even before they started dating. She had had the chance and the opportunity to see all kinds of places with him, perhaps even go sightseeing back when she flew to the Big Apple with him with the sole purpose of getting Uncle Max’s signature for the sale of Carrington Atlantic. 

An opportunity that Fallon had pretty much thrown away and up in the air from the moment she decided to follow up on her idiotic plan that involved hiring a escort to seduce her fake husband’s uncle. At the time, her immature brain thought it was the right thing to do since getting one night with his nephew’s wife had been his one and only condition to finally sign the deal, but she certainly had no idea what a horrible mess that would ensure for the months that followed. While she couldn’t say she regretted that decision, as it had led her and her husband to exactly where they were supposed to be, she would be lying if she said she didn’t wish that first trip to New York with him had been a lot different.

“Have you made any plans for tomorrow?” Fallon asked, breaking the silence between them to engage in a conversation once they were both done with their ice cream.

“Today has actually been quite exhausting, to be fair,” Liam answered in the sweetest tone. “So I was thinking that maybe we could enjoy a rather lazy day before the Van Kirk Industries Gala tomorrow night?” He proposed. “We could watch a movie or just chill at home because we both know how my family can be so I would leave the stressful activities for the party and the party alone,” he chuckled.

“Okay,” she nodded, trying her best to focus on what he was saying instead of thinking about the terrible pain she was currently in.

“Unless you have something specific in mind?” He questioned. “Any place you want to go?”

“No, no,” Fallon shook her head, moving one foot slowly after the other as she tried to match his pace. “I know we’re here mostly because of all of this Van Kirk stuff,” she began. “The board meeting today, the gala tomorrow and even dinner at your mother’s on Saturday… but you also mentioned showing me a side of New York I’ve never really seen and I just want you to know that I’m totally on board with that, so feel free to choose what we should do for the next couple of days, babe,” she told him. “I know I can be very picky and annoying sometimes but you know what I love and what I hate better than anyone so I’m sure whatever you choose will be just fine,”

“As long as I don’t drag you to Times Square,” Liam let out a soft laugh, not able to resist teasing her about what was probably one of the busiest tourist attractions in the whole world.

“As long as you don’t drag me to Times Square,” she repeated, rolling her eyes as she processed the words they had both just spoken.

He was fully aware the most characteristic square of New York wasn’t a place for the spoiled and classy Fallon Carrington, but if she was given the chance to choose, at that moment, she would much rather go to Times Square than finish that painful walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. They had already walked over a mile ever since leaving Cecconi’s and she estimated there was still about half a mile to go until the nearest street, where she would finally be able to rest her feet in the backseat of a cab.

“Are you okay?” He couldn’t help but frown when her voice started to fade at the end of her sentence.

“I can’t do this anymore, Liam, I’m sorry,” Fallon finally allowed the words to leave her lips, plopping down on the wooden bench on the side of the pedestrian path.

“We’re halfway through the bridge, Fal,” Liam informed her. “Going back to Brooklyn and heading towards Manhattan is pretty much the same distance at this point,”

“My feet are killing me,” she groaned in pain. “I don’t think I can walk anymore, babe,” she admitted.

“I’m afraid there’s not much I can do now,” he murmured. “Why don’t you take them off and finish barefoot?” He suggested.

“There’s no way in hell I’m placing my soft and perfect feet on this dirty and unknown surface,” Fallon complained.

“I would offer to carry you but I don’t think I can,”

“Please,” she begged with pleading eyes.

“I can handle carrying you for a few minutes but not for a half a mile, Fallon. I’m sorry,” he offered her an apologetically smile. “Just take your heels off and when we get home you can take a shower and I will give them an amazing massage, okay?”

“If we get home and you lay on the bed and you fall asleep, I’m going to kill you, Mr. Ridley,”

“You agreed to walk!” Liam countered. “How is that _my_ fault?”

“Hadn’t you looked so freaking happy and excited to cross the bridge all the way back to Manhattan, I would have said no,” Fallon explained, throwing her right leg over her left one.

“Aww, come here,”

Sitting down next to her, he pulled her towards him then waited for her to rest her head on his shoulder to tighten his embrace around her body. For a few minutes, they sat in complete silence as they watched the people walking back and forth, some chatting, some taking photos or posing for them while some simply enjoyed their stroll across the bridge.

“I’m sorry I suggested walking back,” Liam whispered. “I should have known better than to ask you to walk about two miles on those crazy heels,” he pointed at the shinny Louboutin’s on her feet.

“To be fair, I _really_ thought I could do it,” she chuckled. “Since I’m used to them and all,”

“Why don’t you take them off for a little bit?”

“If I take them off, my feet will swell and putting them back on is going to be even worse,” Fallon told him. “I’m just trying to gather enough courage to continue our walk barefoot because I sure as hell won’t make it back to Manhattan in them,” she rolled her eyes. “Oh god, this walkway is so gross,” she complained while staring down at the wooden path.

“Focus on that massage and we will be home before you know it,” Liam promised her.

“Fine,” she sighed while pulling the high heels off her feet. “Let’s go before I change my mind,” she added, standing up.

“Maybe pack a pair of sneakers in your suitcase next time we travel?” He suggested, taking her hand in his so they could resume their walk back to Manhattan.

“I could have packed a dozen pairs of sneakers for this trip, Liam, I still wouldn’t have worn a single one to go out on a date with you, to a fancy restaurant, as a matter of fact,” Fallon countered.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Liam shrugged. “You know I don’t care about what you wear,” he reminded her. “I mean, I do think you look absolutely stunning in this outfit but you could wear a clown costume and I would still think you’re beautiful,”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t,” she threw him a glare.

“All I’m saying is that you would be a lot more comfortable, that’s all,” he mentioned. “Not to mention that you wouldn’t be walking barefoot if you didn’t have a high heels only policy,” he laughed softly.

“You better stop talking if you don’t want me to hit you,” Fallon warned him. “This is all _your_ fault and now there’s all kinds of stuff under my feet,” she murmured, bumping the right side of her body against his left arm in a playful manner as they approached the second stone tower.

“Will you stop complaining if I agree that this _is_ all my fault?” Liam questioned.

“Yeah, I think I can do that,” she nodded with a smile.

“Thank you,” he chuckled, noticing they were already walking over the streets of Manhattan and no longer above the East River. “Come here,” he spoke while guiding her towards one of the empty benches almost at the end of the bridge. “Come on, hop on my back,”

“What?” Fallon asked confused.

“When we get to Manhattan, which we will in about five minutes or so,” Liam began. “There’s going to be that small garden between Brooklyn Bridge Promenade and Centre Street, trash cans everywhere and well, the subway station,” he explained. “Not to mention all the street food carts and the park around City Hall,”

“Where are you going with all of that, Liam?” She frowned. “You’re starting to scare me,”

“It’s almost eleven o’clock, Fallon,” he told her. “It’s _dark_ ,” he added shortly while positioning himself in front of the wooden bench, extending his hand out for her in order to help her stand on it. “I might have been stupid enough to suggest we walk across the bridge while you wore high heels and believe me, I’ve learned my lesson so, at this point, I would know better than to let you walk barefoot on the street so a rat can run over your feet,”

“Rats?! Oh my god, I’m going to kill you, Liam!” Fallon exclaimed, hitting his shoulder with open palms before slapping the back of his head.

“Hey! I’m trying to help you!” Liam countered.

“I hope you know that the massage you promised me has just doubled in time,” she informed him. “Hold this,” she requested, handing him the pair of high heels she had been carrying in her hands for the past ten minutes. “If I even _see_ a rat, that time is going to be tripled,”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard you,” he rolled his eyes. “Why don’t I just give you an hour of a full body massage and we’re even?” He proposed, closing his fingers around her hand as he helped her climb on the bench.

“Okay,” Fallon sighed. “Now prove to me that all those hours you spend at the gym are worth something,” she spoke before hopping on his back. “Don’t drop me!” She screamed, louder than she first intended to, when she started sliding down.

“Sorry,” Liam quickly apologized, setting the black Louboutin’s down on the bench so he could adjust her better against his body. “Is your dress alright?” He asked when she wrapped her legs around him. “Don’t want anyone seeing things they shouldn’t,”

“Are you _seriously_ worried about my _dress_ right now?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I _am_ ,” he replied, pulling the fabric of her dress down as she threw her arms around his neck for better support. “Very much, thank you for asking,”

“Do you have any idea of how many diseases rats can spread, Liam?” Fallon dramatized. “My dress is certainly the least of my worries right now,”

“So it’s alright if everyone on this bridge gets a glimpse of your ass?” He asked back.

“Liam, my dress is knee length, there’s no way I will be that exposed,” she reminded him. “In fact, you’re holding some of the fabric against my thigh as you hold me so it’s pretty much impossible for anyone to get a glimpse of my ass,” she murmured.

“I just want to be sure,”

“I am sure,” Fallon reassured him. “Now walk,” she demanded.

Instead of the five minutes that Liam had initially estimated the remaining walk back to Manhattan would take, it took them about twice that time to finally arrive at the opposite end of the bridge and reach Centre Street. Although Fallon had a great and gorgeous body, she wasn’t exactly the lightest woman so he had slowed down his pace while walking so he wouldn’t pull a muscle or even worse, drop her.

As he approached the crosswalk that led to New York City Hall, he raised one of his arms as soon as he spotted a traditional yellow taxi driving in their direction with its light on. Settling Fallon back on her feet once the car stopped right in front of them and not a minute sooner, he opened the door and waited for her to climb on the backseat before joining her.

“15 West 47th Street, please,” Liam requested while closing the door. “See? No rats,” he chuckled, glancing at her.

“Thanks for carrying me,” Fallon spoke softly, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes as she finally allowed herself to relax for a few minutes. “Can you pass me my shoes? I should be able to walk up to your apartment,”

“Your shoes-” his voice faded as the two words left his mouth. “Oh god,” he whispered, looking to his sides even though he knew her fancy, designer heels weren’t in his hand when they entered the taxi.

“Liam Ridley, where are my Louboutin’s?” She exclaimed, her eyes widening in desperation as she turned towards him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all liked this chapter!! Please, let me know what you thought of it and stay tuned!
> 
> Next week... the Van Kirk Industries Gala!

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter was pretty much an introduction to what's to come in the following chapters and it somewhat feels like a prologue to set ground to what Fallon and Liam are going to face during the next few days.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed it and I would love to hear your thoughts about it! 
> 
> Stay tuned for a brand new chapter every monday and well, just so you can prepare yourselves, this chapter is half the length of the following ones so there's a lot more to come!


End file.
